﻿LilKARKSHIRE. 



LAKARKSHIBK. 



Tha gieatcrt length of the oonnty U SS milee ; Hagreateet width !■ S4 

 miles; end iU cuperficul extent i« 631,719 etatateaaree, or987aqQ«r« 

 inilee. The t>opuUUon in 1841 wm 426,972 ; in 1851 it WM 580,169. 

 The county returns one member to the Imperiiil Parliament. 



S)irfaet,Soil,Geolcjfj/,Ae. — Lanarlcaliireia divided into three principal 

 districts or wards, to eaoh of which U appointed a BherifT-substitute. 

 Its surface is so various that it will be conTenient to notioe the local 

 peculiarities of each ward under separate heads. 



The Upptr or SoutMern Ward, of which the ancient burgh of Lanark 

 is the chief town, includes that eztenaiTe portion of the oonnty which 

 lies between the counties of Peeblee, Dumfries, and Ayr. It consti- 

 tnte* more than one-half of the oonnty, and consists principally of 

 mountains, hilU, and moorish lands, which do not appear susceptible 

 of much improvement. About two-thirds of this district may be 

 called moor-pasture, the remaining part being occupied by arable and 

 meadow lands, orchards, fte. 



The geology and mineralogy of this part of the county are important. 

 Hidi seams of excellent eoal/from two to seven feet in thickneas. are 

 uivantageously wrought in the northern part of this difitrict, at 

 Wilsontown. The Wilsoutown coal-field lies in an oval basin bearing 

 Dorth-east and south-west. It is of considerable extent, but full of 

 what are called ' troubles ;' that it, throwings up or down of the seams 

 of coal, sometimes to the extent of 60 feet. In the immediate vicinity 

 <jf this coal-field are the Wileontown iron-works, the supply of iron- 

 stone being reputed to be here inexliaustible. Sandstone (of a beautiful 

 white colour, well adapted for building), whinstone, and limestone, 

 are all abundant, and are extensively usisd. The lead-mines in the 

 j>arish of Crawford are very productive, and have been continuously 

 worked from a remote period. Gold and silver are disseminated in 

 minute particles through the superincumbent clay, but the quantity 

 i.i too Binall to repay the expense of its extraction. Beoords exist 

 which sUte that at one time specimens of native gold were sometimes 

 met with here from one ounce to several ounces in weight. In the 

 vicinity of the lead-mines copper and antimony have been found, and 

 nttempts have been made to work them, but without snocees. Among 

 the more elevated mountains of this part of the county are abundant 

 qnarrics of slate, but their distance from towns, causing great expense 

 of carriage, precludes their being profitably worked. 



The arable portion of this ward is conKned to the banks of the Clyde 

 nnd cf the streams which are contributory to it. The highest ground 

 ii in the jiarish of Crawford where the Clyde has its source, and where 

 the mountains appear crowded together. The principal elevations 

 are Tintoe, in the united parishes of Wiston and Roberton (2310 

 fc •t); and the range of the Lowthers in the parish of Crawford, and 

 near the borders of Dumfriesshire, of which the gi-eatest height is 

 8100 feet 



The Middle Ward, of which Hamilton is the chief town, is about 

 half the extent of the Upper Ward. In this ward the elevation of the 

 land is considerably diminished, and it declines towards the north- 

 west The moor and coarse pasture-land does not here form one-half 

 of the soil. The prevailing soil is of a clayey nature intermixed with 

 sand, and varies considerably in colour, composition, and degree of 

 fertility. The usual term of lenses i« 1 9 years. Oats and barley form 

 the principal crops, but there is also much wheat raised. The farm- 

 buildings are generally good nnd substantial. Farming oppralions 

 are much better understood than formerly, and draining is generally 

 attended to. 



This ward is also rich in minerals, containing au abundance of 

 whinstone, sandstone, ironstone, and coal. The coal-a^ams vary from 

 two to nine feet in thickness, and abound chiefly in the northern part 

 of the district. The ironstone occurs both in masses and in scams. 

 In the wei-tem part of the district limestone abounds 



The I/"Vtr or Northern Ward is of limited extent. It contains the 

 city of Olisgow and the parishes surrounding that city, and is in the 

 centre of the great coal district of Scotland. In Calder parish, besides 

 numerous iron-furnaces and ironstone- nnd coal-mines, there are 

 immense fields of fire-clay varying from 4 to 19 feet in thickness, and 

 the quality is considered equal to the Stourbridge clay. In their 

 vicinity are extensive works for the nianufiicture of cnicibles, Ac. 

 Many of the moiies in this district have been reclaimed, and they are 

 being lessened by peat-entting, to that upon many of tlicra nnU, rye- 

 gnas, and_ wheat are now grown. The greater part of the tilled land 

 if sown with oats, which also constitute the chief spring com. 



dimale, Agricvitttrt, Ac. — The climate of the county in almost as 

 varioni as its soil. The Lower Ward, being more open to the sea- 

 fareeset which prevail from the west and south-west, is comparatively 

 temperate; intense frost is seldom of long continuance, nnd deep 

 ■nowa are rare : at the same time the elevated landi in the counties 

 of Renfrew and Dnmbarton, intercepting the vapoTirs with which the 

 weetorlv winds are usually aitnrated, occasion the frequent fall of 

 heavv showers. The barometric and thermometric variations in the 

 Middle Ward are more uniform, but in the llpp^r Ward they are 

 sudden, and there also the climate is imusually severe. The snow 

 anmetimes lies for weeks in the motmtain roads of the sonthem part 

 of the cfinnty. 



Nearly three-fourths of the land of Ijanarkshire belong to hrge 

 proprietor!. A considerable extent of inclosed land is kept constantly 

 in grass, and let out from year to year for pasture, especially in the 



Deigbbonrhood of tha towns and important villigea. Thronglioot tha 

 ooonty the daury system has bean proseouted with great suooeaa. Tha 

 oowa are generally of the Ayrshire oread. The sheep are moatly black- 

 faced. Tlie draught horses of Cly<lesdala are held in great esttmation 

 in tha north of England and the south of Scotland. Pasturage is chiefly 

 attended to in the Upper Ward ; dairy fjarming is the chief employment 

 of agriculturists in the Middle and Lower Wards. 



Clydesdale is famous for its fruit — apples, plums, pears, gooieberriei, 

 &e. The rent of the orchards on both sides of th'? river forms • 

 material part of the income of the landlords, all of whom, from tha 

 largest proprieton to the small farmer, sell their fruit annually, the 

 purchasers being raierally the Olaagow A^itarera. 



Hydrography, CommwueaHan*, Ac. — The principal river of the 

 county is the Clyde (the Qlotta of Tacitus, < Agria' c. 23), which in a 

 commercial point of view is of more importance than any other river 

 of Scotland. [Cltde.] The contributary streams are— the Medwin 

 Waters, which rise in the hills on the extreme eastern boundary of 

 Lanarkshire ; the Douglas, from the extensive parish of that name; 

 the Mouse Water, which fiJIs into the Clyde near Lanark, alao 

 coming from the east of Uie county ; the Netban, which comes from 

 the high grounds in the west ; the Avon, which waters Strathavon 

 parish and the district of that name, and joins the Clyde near 

 Hamilton ; and the Calder Water, in the south of the county, with 

 several others of minor importanoa. 



The Monkland Canal from Glasgow intersects the p.arish of New 

 Monkland, and terminates at tha southern extremity of the parish of 

 Old Monkland: its length is about 12 miles. The Ardrosaan Canal 

 proceeds from Port Eglinton, on the south side of Olaagow, through 

 Govan, and thence to the counties of Renfrew and Ayr. The Forth 

 and Clyde Canal traverses a portion of the north-western comer of 

 the county. 



The roads are all well constructed, and kept in excellent repair. 

 Glasgow is the centre of a series of railways, the most important of 

 whicii are — the Caledonian, which traverses the whole county ; the 

 Edinburgh and Glasgow railway ; and the Qlasgow and South-Westera 

 railway. 



Diviiiotu, Tovmi, tte. — For judicial and administrative purposai tha 

 county is divided, as already mentioned, into three wards. A aheriff- 

 substituta also resides at Airilrie, a portion of the Middle Ward having 

 been crcited for this purpose a separate jurisdiction. Ecelesiastioally 

 the county proper is divided into 87 parishes. The most important 

 town is Glasgow, the commercial capital of Scotland. Lakark and 

 Hamilton, the chief towns of the Upper and Middle Wards, are 

 described under their reapectiva titles. Besides these, the county 

 contains the towns of AiRDBtE, Calderbank, Carluke, Coatbridge, 

 Govan, Rutherglen, Stonehnuse, Strathaven, nnd Wishawton. 



Calderbank, population 2872 in 1851, in Old Monkland parish, is a 

 town of recent origin, and dependent on the coal- and iron-mines in 

 the neighbourhood. 



Carluke, population 2S45, Is a small town and burjh of barony in 

 the parish of Carluke. Many of the inhabitants arc weavers. In tha 

 neighix)nrhood conl, ironstone, and limestone are extensively wrought. 

 In the parish are Mauldalic Castle, formerly the saat of the Hymtford 

 family, and Lee, the seat of the Lockharts, where is preserved the 

 famous ' Lee penny,' noticed by Sir Walter Scott in ' The Talisman.' 

 The parish church. Free Church, and chapels for United and Original 

 Seeedars, are the public buildings situated in tha burgh, which has 

 also several schools and a savings bank. 



Coathridge, population 8564, like the other towns and villages in 

 the extensive parish of Old Monkland, is chiefly dependent on the 

 coal- and iron-mines. The Monkland Canal is here crossed by a 

 wooden viaduct The Coatbridge station of the Monkland railway i« 

 9J miles from Glasgow. There are a Free and a United Presbyterian 

 church, and a mechanics institution, which in 1851 bad 140 roemberi, 

 with 700 volumes in the library belonging to it 



Oman, population 3131, about 2 miles W. by N. from Glasgow on 

 the left bank of the Clyde, poasessaa several hi^e ship-building yards. 

 The church is rather a pretentious building, but a bad imitation of 

 the gothic stylo. The Free and the United Presbyterian Churches 

 have places of worship. In the parish are situated the Observatory 

 and the Royal Botanic Garden connected with Glasgow University. 

 The town is connected with Glasgow by a lino of elegant villa*. 



Rutherglen, one of the most ancient royal burghs in Scotland, and 

 now a parliamentary burgh, in the parish of Rutherglen, is situated 

 on the left bink of the Clyde, 2 miles K. from Glasgow. The popu- 

 lation of the parliamentary burgh in 1861 was 6314; that of the 

 municipal burgh wan 6947. The Imrgh is governed by a provost and 

 1 7 councillors. It unites with Dumbarton, Kilmarnock, Port Glasgow, 

 and Renfrew in returning one member to the Imjifirial Parliament. 

 In Rnthertflen church, in February 1297, a treaty of peace was con- 

 cluded between the Scotch nnd the English. The town consists of 

 one main street ; it is li?hted with gas. The only piihlio buildings 

 are the town-hall, the parish church, and chapels for the Krco and the 

 lJnit«(l Prflshyterians. The inhabitants are chiefly employed in hand- 

 loom weaving. Two imjwrtant fairs are held hero. The town is 

 connected with the suburbs of Glasgow by an old narrow bridge. 

 There is here a stition of the Caledonian railway. 



/StoneAotue, popuUtion 2086, is in tha parish of Stonahoou, in the 



